Babies are like magic beans in a kindergarten classroom. Each student plants and waits to see theirʼs sprout. Inevitably someone has the surprise of first shoots and always a lucky little one gets to learn a lesson in patience as their bean is the last to burst from the earth. Mother Nature is fun like that. Iʼve learned that babies come when they are ready, unless of course we pull them out early. My name is Jennifer, mama to 2, pregnant with our 3rd. I own a yoga studio with my husband, have practiced massage therapy, worked as a doula and am an advocate for women birthing the way they feel inspired to. I decided to start this blog to share with you some of the valuable tips, thoughts, feelings, and advice that Iʼve appreciated learning over the years.
Now in the 20th week of my 3rd pregnancy, this time around Iʼm determined not to focus on a "due date". I like looking at books that show stages of the babyʼs growth and read about the development taking place inside of my body. At 20 weeks, I donʼt really consider that Iʼm at some hypothetical half way point as if I am trying to finish a race before the mouse runs up the clock. I have a good reason for this new mental framework. Our daughter was born a day after her due date, my contractions had started the day before she was due, while our son was on a schedule of his own.
I now know that he was determined to be a Spring baby rather than Winter and apparently felt the need to be an Aries rather than a Pisces. He arrived 10 days "late". We had plans to deliver at Best Start Birth Center where we had enjoyed a natural water birth with our daughter almost two years earlier. We were determined not to have our baby at a hospital for a variety of reasons. The birth center has a policy that a woman must be in labor by 41 weeks 6.5 days or something technical like that, because if youʼre not in active labor by 42 weeks you become a higher risk and therefore they send you to the hospital in the event the delay creates complications. Wow! A whole new stress entered my life at 41 weeks that I had not experienced with our daughterʼs birth.
Suddenly I realized what women must go through who get pressured to be induced sometimes as early as 38 weeks. There are times when induction is the medically safe thing to do, but I often hear women tell stories how their doctors kept them from going full term so that the baby wouldnʼt be "too big". So, I entered myself into the world of how to naturally induce my labor or as I like to think of it, entice the little one out while trying to respect my baby for whatever reason he was content to stay in my womb an itty-bitty longer time. My plan was to start self-inducing benign and then go more aggressive if necessary, thank goodness I did not make it to indulging in a castor oil milkshake! I was clear though that I would rather try castor oil over pitocin (which Iʼll cover in a later blog, stay tuned).
Hereʼs what worked for me and recommendations that I can share for your journey if you find yourself down this path, or if you know someone who is, pass it on sister! My midwife recommended taking evening primrose capsules to soften my cervix both orally & vaginally, so thatʼs where I began. I took long walks on the beach, climbing any stairs I came across with big, high knee lifts. I kept practicing and teaching Yoga every day. My nearly 2 year old daughter helped me by nursing and I was later advised to try a breast pump for more vigorous nipple stimulation. Sex and spicy food although yummy, did not jump start me into wild contractions.
When I was exactly 1 week and 1 day "overdue" and knew I had a stress test scheduled for the next day, I asked my friend and acupuncturist at Free Flow Health to give me a treatment. After the acupuncture, I started a cycle of Blue & Black Cohosh Tinctures that my midwife had outlined for me. Itʼs very important that you speak with your health care provider before taking on self induction with any alternative treatments. Please don't try to deliver your baby early just because itʼs convenient for you or someone else.
I started getting strong contractions that night after the acupuncture and tincture cycles and decided to stop the cycles and get a good nights sleep. When I woke up the next morning I was a little surprised I had not gone into labor over night. I started the cycle back up before going in to have our baby's fetal movements monitored and amniotic fluid levels checked. Everything looked great but I decided to have my membranes swept by my midwife and then went to Thai food for lunch. Maybe it was the green curry that broke the camel's back, no not my water but yes the contractions started to come! By 4pm I was ready to go back to the birth center. Our son was born at 4:24a.m. the following morning. The labor experience of our 2 children was very different... Iʼll save that for a future blog.
With our 3rd baby growing inside me as I type these very words I now say our baby is due late Spring/early Summer since the "official" due date is near the Solstice. For me the pressure is too much, being tied to a date that is determined through methods insufficiently error free. Our baby will come, this much I know, and no one needs to remind me on a daily basis that it will be any day now. My heart goes out to women that are pressured into inductions they don't feel they are ready for and I encourage you to try natural methods, trust your intuition and always remember that your doctor works for you. Unless there is a serious medical reason why your baby needs to be delivered early, ask your doctor to let your body run its natural course. Honoring ourselves, our bodies, and our babies allows mother nature to flow through us and into our little ones, helping to create a new generation of conscious beautiful beings. What a Wonderful Birthday Gift!
Namasté,
Jennifer Frierott
HIP Mama Yoga (Healthy, Inspired, Prepared)
Jade Dragon Yoga Shala
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| Big Sister meets Little Brother 2011 |
